The First Time
by WhySoSerious16
Summary: There is a first time for everything. A collection of Sasuke and Sakura's "firsts."
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME HOME**

The first time he came home was on a Friday evening. It was a Friday that stood between the end of the comfortable autumn and the frigid winter. It was an evening that was especially cold in contrast to the night before, where everyone had secluded themselves in their respective homes much earlier than usual in order to sit close to an open fire. The absence of people left the streets with a loneliness that brought unwelcome memories. The one figure willed them away as he did to the chill in the air. He blew into his hands but to no avail, his body shook painfully as he sought out a protective shelter. And that's when he saw her.

She too was walking alone but for a purpose. A supermarket shopping bag was hanging from her hand as she struggled to keep it in her hold. It was filled to its capacity, and he could see it was heavy from their distance. She was bundled up to a point where he could feel how much warmer she was than him. She wore a coat that was drawn closely to her body, worn over what he presumed to be thick leggings and protecting her shins were winter boots. A thick, knit scarf was used to protect her otherwise exposed neck. He had stopped in his tracks, more to contemplate whether he should disappear as quickly as he could rather than to simply look at her. But look at her he did and, when she had finally gotten to a distance to where her off-guarded nature could not hide his presence, she looked to him too.

There was no response at first, she just looked at him. Her eyes seemed to be staring into his face, unintentionally burning holes, until she walked to close the distance. He instinctively took a step away, but she only slowed her approach. Why he slightly retreated, he did not know, but he willed himself to allow her to come close. He hadn't returned in four years, that did not give him a reason to run away from her. And just how many thoughts were running through his mind, a look into her emerald eyes made it evident that many were passing through hers. Small, shimmering tears gathered at the corner of her eyes as she placed her bags on the ground and using a hand to lightly touch his face. Her fingertips were warm and he released a breath at the feel of them.

"Sasuke," she whispered ever so slightly, as if speaking louder would reveal that this was all an illusion on her part. But he was here. She felt him and he felt her. There wasn't much to say after that. Her fingertips had felt how cold he was, and the dark bags under his eyes told her how tired he was. She allowed her palm to fall onto his pale cheek in order to share his warmth before she ultimately retreated. She thought she saw him lean forward a bit, trying to prevent a distance between them, but that may have been her imaginative think. No, she was sure it was, but she nonetheless looked his into his deep black eyes and she observed, "You need a place to stay."

He said nothing and she took that as a silent confirmation. She bent at the knees to grab her bags and brushed past him. Despite the way the cold bit at his nose, he breathed in her scent. She smelled the same as she did all those years ago, and it brought on the warmth of nostalgia. But it was only momentary as her footsteps indicated that she was walking away, leaving him in the silence of the empty village street. However, the footsteps stopped and he curiously turned to see her head slightly turned to reveal the side of her face as she regarded him. "I won't force you."

He knew exactly what she had meant therefore, when she turned to walk away once more leaving it to him to decide, he called out, "Sakura." She stopped almost obediently and he walked in long strides to catch him to her. When he did, she looked up to his in question as his cold his brushed hers as he took hold of her bags. She smiled up at him briefly as he held them securely in his hands before she continued to walk, except this time slightly more carefree. He followed her silently stopping only momentarily to look back in the direction he was going. He eyed the one window that was lit, the window that looked into Naruto's house. Squinting, he catches the movement of a shadow that was, without a doubt, regarding him as well.

They reached Sakura's home shortly after their meeting. It was a small apartment that was more than enough for one person to reside in. She welcomed him in and offered him a seat on her couch in the living room just to the right of the walk in area. As Sasuke observed her home, she took the groceries into the kitchen. Sasuke noted how the walls were a light tan color and the couch was an autumn red, adding to the warmth of her home. Sasuke could tell she took time to decorate her home as there were lamps with shades that matched the theme of the room and beautiful pictures lined the wall. The curtains on the one window in the living area were drawn and were decorated by warm flourishes. He sat comfortably, yet awkwardly, as she moved to the opposite wall and bent down in order to light her fireplace. As soon as a fire was lit, Sasuke could feel the new winter air melt away from his body.

He observed how Sakura had remained quiet, something that was very different in comparison to their younger days. She performed every action with maturity, including the way she peeled off her layers and hung them on the hooks positioned on the wall. She sighed and turned to him with a smile. His eye slightly twitched at the sight of it. "I hope Green Tea sounds delicious to you because it does to me." Sasuke's eyes did not follow her as she entered her kitchen through an arched door. She clinked her way through her cupboards, turned on the stove, and returned as quickly as she left. Sasuke did not fail to notice that the same smile was still adorning her delicate face.

"I can honestly say I wasn't expecting you to come back so soon," she tried to joke, sitting in the armchair to the left of the couch. It was also the furthest from him as he sat on the right side of the couch. "Just imagine what Naruto-"

"Stop." Her mouth sealed itself shut at Sasuke's command. At first she attempted to express surprise, as if she hadn't a clue what he was talking about. But the fact that her smile faded quickly showed him that she did. Not only was she his former roommate, but she also was madly in love with him years ago. He knew her smile was fake. It was an attempt to hide all the other emotions that he could easily see. It was an attempt to get her through the night before he left the next day, or so she thought he would. She was unaware that even Sasuke didn't know his plans for the next day. Either way, the way she tried to lie to him was beginning to upset him.

At first she tried to go about things rationally, such as breathing deeply to collect her thoughts, but when that didn't work, she resorted to pacing the room. Sasuke's eyes followed her lazily, allowing her thoughts to spill from her lips. "I don't know what you want from me Sasuke," she said clearly at first, but it ended in a whimper. "I mean, I'm not upset with you leaving its just that you didn't keep in contact and you come back arrogant enough to tell me _not _to pretend like I'm happy?!" He listened to her holistically: emotionally and verbally. "To be honest, I'm _not _happy that you're back. I'm tired of realizing that all I thought I let go of is still here only to be pushed away again when you leave. You're not the kind of person who stays." She shrugged sadly as if to ask _what do you want me to do? _However she did respectfully add, "I was trying to make you feel like you were home."

The tea kettle began to whistle and she rushed to the kitchen to shut off the stove. She was no longer in the mood for tea and decided to leave the tea kettle where it was, returning back to the living area where Sasuke still sat. He was silent in listening to her and now he was silent in processing her words. They were not the words of someone who loved another unconditionally, they were the words of someone who was tired of suffering. He knew this would be the case long before he even returned to Konoha, which was why he had easily gone with her instead of continuing on his way. The latter one would be less emotional and Sasuke preferred to deal with a lot less emotion. And before he could stop himself, a heavy question slipped from his mouth, "Is this your way of giving up on me?"

Sakura brought a hand up to cover her eyes as a way of keeping her tears from him. "That's selfish," she whimpered. "You have no right to ask me that."

Standing, Sasuke cautiously approached her. He had no intention of making a joke of the situation, but everyone knew her strength just as everyone knew how she was prone to using it when she was upset. "I do," he disagreed with her, "I came here with you for a reason."

He continued to advance on her, decreasing the amount of distance between them. She reached out and let her hand remain open in the air. "Stop," she begged, "Please." He took another step and her hand was flat against his chest. He welcomed her touch, so much that he enveloped her hand in his own. His calloused hand moulded with her smooth textured one. She attempted to pull away but he held fast to her. He even took his other hand and placed it on the back of her neck in order to gently pull her into a warm embrace. She sobbed into his chest, shaking hard enough to rock the both of them as they stood together. He lowered his nose into her silk, cherry blossom hair and whispered the two words she'd been dying to hear.

"I'm home."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: A SLAP TO THE FACE

The two of them now sat across from each other at Sakura's small table in her kitchen. She found herself growing uncomfortable the longer they held each other, standing in the middle of her living area, so she reoffered the idea of tea. This time, he accepted. Not because he wanted tea, but he could tell that there were things flashing across her mind every moment. Sasuke did not lose his pride during his journey, therefore he would not admit that his one desire was to start over with Sakura.

Sakura blew at the steaming tea before taking a small sip. It was green tea and, ironically, Sasuke's preferred beverage. He watched her as she kept her eyes downcast until, when she thought he wasn't looking, she'd take a look at his bandaged arm. Sasuke did not need to analyze much to understand what she was thinking. He had left Konoha without his arm but now he is back and he suddenly has it. He could see the hurt that flashed in her eyes every now and then, but he also noticed how she desperately tried to keep it hidden. As if she was attempting to convince herself that the pain she was feeling was not pain at all. As if she was reliving the days of her childhood crush.

"Does it feel okay," Sakura asked with an air of medical expertise and pretended to examine the way he moved when he reached for his cup. While it was out of genuine curiosity, as there was a chance that Sasuke's body would reject Hashirama's cells, it was mostly to distract her thoughts from the pain she was feeling. However, Sasuke obviously had seen through her facade a while ago and said, "I had Tsunade attach it while I was in Suna."

Sasuke expected her to interrogate him, which she had every right to do. He was supposedly passed the point of treating her as his inferior, yet shortly after he left Konoha he had Tsunade covertly depart to Suna and he had specifically asked her not to tell Sakura. It was not for reasons most might think. Sakura was no longer the little girl that chased him around during their childhood. She had grown into a fortified woman who was taking care of her own, and a woman he had made a promise to. I'll see you soon… The phrase had many connotations to it and, at the base of it, he recognized that Sakura had somehow taken hold of him. There was no other woman he was willing to return to besides her and, if she had come to attach his arm for him, he would have surely gone running back to Konoha. And he couldn't just yet, he still had many things he had to prove to himself. It was not her, he wanted to say, but himself that forced him to keep her at bay.

Yet all of this remained swimming in his thoughts as he stared at the Sakura that sat before him now. She was only twenty-one and already well refined. The diamond on her forehead was covered by a new hairstyle, one that was parted in a way that allowed parts of her bangs to fall across her forehead. While others (Ino) have noted that her new hairstyle makes her forehead look less gargantuan, Sasuke saw no difference as he never saw Sakura's forehead as being large anyway. He would never tell her that of course. Instead he simply stared at her at the very existence he had tried to push away for years. She simply nodded in understanding, taking sips of her tea and seemingly enjoying the silence. Little did she know, Sasuke was dying within it. He wanted her to say something, anything, even it would pick a fight. It was better than watching her thoughts eat her alive.

"What are you thinking," he finally asked her in his usual, monotone voice. Only he detected a small difference within it: pleading. He was silently pleading her to tell him, pleading her to forgive him. More importantly, he was pleading her to realize that he was hers for the taking. She could ask him to do anything and he would do everything within his power to fulfill her every request.

She swallowed her warm tea and cleared her throat, giving a contemplative glance to her cup. "I'm thinking this tea needs more honey." Nodding, she pushed back her chair and went to her cupboards. She found it in its usual place, sitting behind a few spices, and reached for it. Having an usual addiction to honey, she poured a large amount (a disgustingly large amount, Sasuke described) into her tea. She took a spoon from a drawer and swirled it until she felt it was dissolved. Sasuke waiting for her to return to her seat but she leaned against the counter instead, making herself comfortable. "Would you like some honey, is that why you're staring at me like that?"

If the world listened a little closer, the sound of Sasuke's patience snapping could be heard. He threw his chair back with such a force that sent it flying to the ground. Sakura jumped slightly, but did not recoil from him. He advanced on her and took her tea from her hand, ignoring the small protest the Sakura began to gave him. She went silent when she looked into his eyes, one rinnegan and the other sharingan. "Cut it out," he growled at her. "Get mad at me, scream, cry. Just stop being… okay!"

"That's slightly sadistic," Sakura said simply, angering Sasuke even more.

"Dammit Sakura," he hissed. "What I mean is I've changed!" He sighed, calming himself. "If you have something to say, I'll listen."

Sakura stopped as if to contemplate this. He was calm so his sharingan had disappeared, allowing Sakura to see into him through his lone onyx eye. She saw everything else he had tried to say in those few words: I'm sorry, forgive me, I need you. "Fine," she conceded. "But under one condition."

"What?"

She paused, eyeing his seemingly flawless features. Pale skin without a single blemish or other discoloration. Perfectly sculpted in that it easily made him the most handsome man in Konoha. "Let me slap you."

At first he did nothing, he simply stared as if he was going to take back all he had said. Even Naruto knew that any physical confrontation with Sakura was the worst mistake anyone could make, even an Uchiha. However, Uchihas were known to stand by their word and Sasuke had already given his. There was also the fact that behind her passive face stood emotion she was dying to let out. Now that he had given her the chance to, this was her way of doing so. So he nodded while his eyes fluttered closed. If he was going to be slapped by Sakura, he didn't want to see it coming.

But it never came. He waited… and waited… but he did not feel her hand make contact with any part of his face. Painfully, he should add, because he did feel her warm hand press against his cold cheek. Her thumb glided across his skin with affection, causing shivers to run down his spine. Even more so when her breathing slowed the point where he could no longer hear her. And then he felt her lips.

Sasuke was shocked. He had never been kissed before, and he could tell she had never kissed anyone before as her lips were lightly shaking. But feeling her lips on his brought on an ecstasy he had never felt before. He felt instantly rejuvenated at the feel of her soft lips on his, and he felt shameless when he responded. Sasuke felt no shame in taking control of her lips, enjoying the way she became bold in touching him. At first she refused to bring her hand from his cheek, but then she figured there was nothing to lose when his hands found her waist. She took hold of his shirt, closing the space between their bodies, the moving them to bury them in his now grown out hair.

It was an unimaginable kiss on both their parts. Sakura had never thought she would one day be kissing Sasuke in such a bold way, and Sasuke never thought he would want to kiss anyone period. But there they were, in Sakura's kitchen, holding onto one another as if their lives depended on it. And when Sakura tried to pull away to catch her breath and regain her lost balance, Sasuke refused to let her go. As soon as their was an empty void between their lips, Sasuke moved forward quickly to satiate his desires. If there was any doubt in his mind before, it was now gone: he needed her.

Sakura finally decided it was time to end their altercation by placing her hand on his chest and pushing him away. Sasuke scowled at this, but also relishly drunk in the sight before him. Sakura had her fingers to her lips, feeling how swollen they had become, while blushing wildly. Her eyes glistened with astonishment, they also bore into his own as she boldly declared, "I forgive you." And that struck Sasuke harder than the strongest jutsu he had ever encountered.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: A LITTLE LESS YOU, AND A LITTLE MORE ME. **

Sakura was growing increasingly anxious. Three weeks had passed since Sasuke's return and she was beginning to imagine him up and leaving some point soon. Her suspicions were beginning to be proven correct when Sasuke started to become distant. Sakura's heart ached as she witnessed the distance he placed between them was not universally true with all of his other relations. He still stuck close to Naruto and he still spoke to Kakashi when he was given the chance. He even spoke to Shikamaru and the others when he was given the opportunity. Sasuke spoke to anyone but her.

She began to feel as though there was nothing between them to begin with. Following their kiss in her kitchen, she had insisted they rest. That following morning he declared that he would stay with Naruto. After that, nothing intimate happened between them. They occasionally shared glances, but she met the eyes of the old Sasuke, a Sasuke that saw nothing in her. Sakura scolded herself, telling herself that she should have prepared for it. People didn't change as drastically as she hoped Sasuke did, and she was beginning to think that their shared moment was simply him and a moment of weakness. If that were the case, she did not want to found a love on just that. So she decided it was time she officially got her feelings in order.

To do so she confided in Hinata, afraid that Ino would go tell the whole village. Hinata was the type to silently listen to each and every thought before giving a good piece of advice. She had done it for Sakura numerous times and, as she became closer to him, Naruto as well. They sat a small cafe, sheltering themselves from the cold, the kind of cold that made one suspect it was going to snow very soon. Hinata was elegantly sipping on her early morning jasmine tea while Sakura was taking large gulps of her highly sugar content coffee. With Sasuke invading her mind with every second of the day and her extremely long shift at the hospital approaching, Sakura needed all of the energy she could get.

"I just don't know what he wants," Sakura finally finished her very long rant. She was winded from spilling her guts and allowing them to just sit in the air for a moment. Sakura expected Hinata to be confused and slightly exhausted from having to hear such a long description of her emotions but she was still patiently waiting, even nodding to show that she heard all of it and understood it as well.

"Maybe you should talk to him about this." Over the years, Hinata grew to be stronger. She no longer stuttered or blushed every time Naruto passed. In fact, she became a bit bolder when it came to talking about feelings and romance and… stuff. She became the go-to girl when no one knew what to do with their love-life. Therefore, when she said this, it didn't come out as a suggestion. It was more like a "I'm saying maybe but, in reality, I'm telling you to do it" kind of phrase.

Sakura groaned and dropped her head so her forehead met the table. Could she just die right there? Talking to Sasuke about this would be the most embarrassing thing for the both of them. She could feel the awkward setting already. "But he kissed me so that must mean he does love me, right?" She said so in an effort to convince herself, not Hinata. Sakura already knew that Hinata wasn't going to concede into letting things be, so it was a matter of either ignoring her or gaining the resolve to let things be. Hinata, being as intelligent as she was beautiful, was never wrong. Leaving things be was obviously not an option.

But this was _Sasuke _they were talking about. Sasuke Uchiha, the one who hadn't even seen her as a girl up until recently. The one who had repeatedly shot down her feelings. Sakura imagined the same thing happening: her telling him that what she is feeling might as well be called love and him telling her that she is _annoying _and _weak. _She was afraid to hear those words again because she had tried to become someone that Sasuke could lean on when he was troubled. He didn't necessarily have to love her, she just wanted him to look to her when he needed a helping hand. Because that's what friends were for.

_Friends… _The word caused a pain in her heart yet she tried to write it off. But, in all honesty, who was she kidding? With that kiss that she had shared with him, she realized that she could never get over Sasuke. Sasuke was her everything and she wanted to be his everything as well. She wanted to help him achieve his goals, to help him reach a fulfilling life. She didn't want to be friends, she wanted to be _more. _"Hinata I'm so sorry," Sakura apologized as she stood up, cutting their meeting shorts, "I have to go find Sasuke."

Hinata only smiled knowingly, "Good luck."

As soon as she left, Sakura began to look for the young Uchiha. She searched high and low yet she still could not find the only Uchiha in Konoha. She asked all the boys if they had seen him. All said no except for Naruto who refused to answer the question until she admitted that she was going to confess her undying love to him. Sakura resorted to punching him in embarrassment and dashing from the ramen shop. The only person who had given her close to a useful clue was Kakashi. She had found him exiting the Hokage Tower, whistling as he read his Icha Icha Paradise book. When Sakura asked him, Kakashi pretended to act as though he would have no clue at all those his eye kept wandering toward the direction of the last placed she hadn't checked. The Uchiha Compound.

_Of course! _Sakura mentally slapped herself for not checking the compound first. She said thanks to Kakashi who only looked after her in sorrow. He did not have the heart to tell her as, even now, she was still chasing after that foolish Sasuke. With a puff of smoke, he teleported away, leaving Sakura to herself as she hurried toward the Uchiha Compound. Having not been inhabited for many, many years, the place looked run down. The gates were wide open as there was nothing inside for them to protect, and weeds littered the area, changing its original serene state into an ugly, unkempt one. Sakura had never been on the premises before, but all village people knew that the most important house was always located in the middle. That was the house within which Sasuke lived in during his childhood, and that was most likely the house he was in now. Her suspicions were proven correct when she rounded a corner and found the door to the main house wide open.

With slow steps, Sakura approached the house. She made sure to make her chakra presence known so Sasuke wouldn't feel as there was an unknown intruder. She stood just before the threshold, afraid to enter, but she was given permission by a hint of Sasuke's chakra. It was intentionally amplified in order to assure her that he was inside, and he was waiting for her as well. She swallowed hard as she silently apologized for her intrusion and took a step inside.

The place was filled with dust and it was falling apart at the seams. Boards had fallen from the ceiling and the floors were wasting away. In some areas, animals had made a home of this abandoned structure and, in others, there were holes that fell into the dark underneath. Making sure to avoid them, Sakura minded her every step, keeping a hand placed against the wall in case she stepped on an uneasy floorboard. Her only method of navigation was Sasuke's chakra as it led her through the halls and around the corners until she eventually came to a bedroom. Almost on reflex, she stopped and had the intense urge to run. Suppose she walked in there and tried to say everything she wanted to say. Suppose she actually put her feelings into words. And then what? Even if he did reciprocate in some form, he was still going to leave eventually. Sakura never wanted to admit it but that was what men like Sasuke did: they left. And women like Sakura wanted someone who would stay. They stood on opposite sides of the spectrum and they were practically incompatible in every way. So what was she doing this for?

All while she was thinking, she hadn't noticed Sasuke's approach. When his feet came into view, she quickly stepped backward, surprised by his sudden appearance. She looked up to his face and saw nothing but indifference. _Just like before, _her mind coldly reminded her. "What are you doing here," was the only thing that left his mouth. It felt like a dagger to her chest.

But there was one thing Sakura had promised herself and it was that she was not going to cry over Sasuke anymore. They had grown up, they were adults. The prosperity of Konoha and its future were now in their hands. Who was she to become weak at such a crucial moment? And who was he to try and break her resolve? "I need to know," she said, barely above a whisper, "what am I to you?"

Sasuke seemed taken aback by the question as his eyes widened a tiny fraction before he sighed, turning away. He walked away from her, back into the room he was previously in. Sakura persistently followed, waiting for an answer, but an answer never came. At least, not in a form that directly answered her question. "This place is no longer inhabitable," he said offhandedly. "Kakashi is arranging for it to be demolished."

"Sasuke, what does this have to do–?"

"I'm leaving tonight," he interrupted her. He didn't bother to face her as he said so. But, again, Sakura expected as much. Therefore she did not give a reaction he was expecting. She didn't burst into tears or beg him to stay. She remained silent, so he continued on to explain. "I need to make sure that, when I found this new life, I don't destroy it." Sasuke turned to her, wanting her to say something. Anything. But Sakura silently listened to him. Her expression was not pained nor was it resentful. It was understanding. He felt how much she wanted to understand his strong desires across the distance between them. "I need to rid myself of the tendency to hate. The tendency to seek revenge. And I have reason to believe that it may take another four years." He paused, taking this time to draw himself closer to her. He took his bandaged hand and placed it on her delicate cheek. She neither leaned into it nor away as she processed all of this information. "I wanted you to stay here. To wait for me."

Sakura finally moved, taking his hand into hers, about to reject his implications. She had chased after him for years, she was finally going to be selfish and declare that she couldn't continue to wait for him. She breathed, "I don't know how much longer I can wait for you to decide that this is what you want." At the word 'this,' she motioned between the two of them. She motioned to what they were about to become if only the words were exchanged.

Sasuke held her hand tightly as he officially declared, "This _is _what I want, and I know you want this too. That is why I am asking you to wait for me. I don't know where I'm going and I don't know if I will be able to send letters to you but Sakura I–" he momentarily stopped short, choosing his words wisely "–Sakura I love you, that is why you can trust that I _will _return to you."

As word spread of Sasuke's upcoming departure, the entire village could not understand why the pinkette had a large grin on her face, even when she took a few minutes away from the job to send him off with a warm smile. When Ino finally worked up the nerve to ask her friend, afraid that it was all an act to cover up her tears, Sakura turned to her with the brightest gleam in her eyes and said, "Because this is the first time that, when he returns, he is returning for me."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR: NOT THAT KIND OF GUY**

Sasuke wasn't the kind of guy who was romantic. That meant he would only profess his love once and, as Sakura came to find, it wasn't a spectacular show. The only reason why he did so before was because he needed to prove that he was worth waiting for. It worked, needless to say, but Sakura always received criticisms. She was easy to pacify, Ino would say, and all he had to say was those three little words and he had her right where he wanted her. And that may be true, but Sakura was not the kind of woman to demand something from him if he was not comfortable giving it. She was not the kind of petty woman who needed to hear his feelings when it was obvious they were there. And they were there. She may not have been sure before but, looking down at the intricately written letter in her hands, it was evident now.

About two years had passed before she first received word from him and this letter was it. According to the letter, she was the only person in Konoha he had contacted thus far, causing a warmth to spread in her chest by the fact that he had contacted her before Naruto. Sakura was proud to find out that people were welcoming Sasuke wherever he went. Because of this, with the sudden appearance of rogue ninjas in the Wind Country, Suna had personally asked him to deal with the problem. Their rationale was that he was strong and his hate was diminishing, there was no greater ninja they could rely on. Gaara, the Kazekage, even personally asked him to stay for a while to calm the hearts of the citizens. Sakura could only imagine the happiness he was feeling.

Other than awaiting his letters, life had become very boring. Naruto was busy doing Hokage stuff, whatever that may have been, and Kakashi decided to take on another team. Everyone was so busy so what did Sakura do? She busied herself with hospital work and missions. It was a no-brainer that Tsunade was going to retire. She had taught Sakura everything she knew in the field of medical expertise, so she felt as though she could leave everything to Sakura. Becoming the head of Konoha Hospital and a part of the medical panel which assisted the Hokage in very important medical decisions was just what Sakura needed. She no longer had the time to think about Sasuke and how he was due to eventually return. And the missions… well she just wanted to make sure that she still had it. As a matter of fact, she was headed out on a mission now.

Naruto had specifically sought out Sakura to go out on this mission because he knew she was the best medical doctor in the country _and _she could hold her own. He would know, he had been at the blunt end of her fist. Naruto told her that a reasonable distance away from Konoha was a small village that had spontaneously been attacked. He had reason to believe they were bandits… very _skilled _bandits. There were many injuries that needed serious attention and expert hands.

Sakura tightened her vest and slung her bag over her shoulder. She double checked her door, making sure it was locked, then set off on her mission. It was going to take her a few hours to get there so she set off in the late afternoon. Because the bandits were capable of ninjutsu, she thought it was better to be in close proximity of the village under the cloak of night. It would be easier to maneuver through the foliage as she wouldn't have to worry about being seen. And the village was expecting to receive her at nighttime so they had a few people waiting for her.

Her journey began without any problems. Sakura was quick on her feet, moving through the trees at excellent speed, and her senses were alert. She could see everything from whatever distance, and she was picking up on every possible sound and potential chakra fluctuations. She, on the other hand, was expertly quiet, not making a single sound, even with every step. She had hidden her chakra presence just before she had left Konoha's gates. Everything, so far, was going as planned. Confrontation was to be avoided, Naruto had advised, because the disruption of peace would cause panic within the village. Therefore, Sakura was glad that she hadn't met any opposing figures… yet. She had not noticed, despite her absolute suspicion, that someone had been following her the entire time. Well, at least, that's what the figure had thought.

Sakura had known the entire time that someone was following her, she was just waiting for the opportune moment, the one branch that would give her the proper footing. That was why, when she finally found the perfect moment to do so, she turned in mid-air with a kunai in her grip with the intention of sinking it in her followers neck. However, her wrist was gripped, preventing herself from following through, and she _and _her pursuer fell to the ground where they both landed on their feet. The shadows of the trees fell back from her pursuers face and shock enveloped her body at the sight of it.

"Sakura."

Sasuke's obsidian eye penetrated into her emerald orbs. It was the only eye she was able to see, his hair having grown out even further and covered his rinnegan, and it was full of silent affection. She didn't know but all while he was looking at her, the only thing that could run through his mind was how much he had missed her. He loathed the idea of sending her letters but being unable to receive any. He wanted to hear her voice, even if he was imagining it as he was reading her words written on paper. He wanted to know what was happening in her life because, after all, he had been gone for _another _four years but what was different from the last time was the fact that she had agreed to be a part of his life. He just wanted to make sure that she was okay and thinking of him just as much as he thought of her. So when he said her name, it was not a greeting nor was he trying to catch her attention. It acted more of a reassurement for himself as if to say, "Yes, she is here."

Sakura had yet to speak but Sasuke gave her no opportunity to. He took his hand and placed it on her cheek, appreciating the way she had leaned into it. Maybe her silence was her way of making sure that this moment was real. It was, Sasuke could testify to it, and what he did in this moment was what he had been dying to do all while he was gone. He pulled her petite form close and leaned down slightly, enough to slant his lips over hers.

How great a kiss it was. It wasn't rushed nor was it sloppy. It was slow and sweetly thought out. It wasn't a kiss that was ensued simply to satisfy a desire, it was a kiss to reaffirm that, after all this time, they were still very much attracted to one another. As Sasuke's lips moved over Sakura's, he was silently making claim to her. He was officially snatching her away from other potential suitors, he was letting her know that no matter where she went from this point on, she was his. But let's not forget that, over these years, our pinkette had grown a very mature backbone of her own. As Sakura's lips welcomed Sasuke's, she not only welcomed the idea of being his, she also asserted the idea that he was hers as well. And Sasuke loved this about her.

Sasuke had every intention to continue. In fact, he had now encircled her body with his arms, trapping her in a position that kept her as close to him as possible. And as much as Sakura loved this and could feel his unspoken emotions on his, she had to bring an end to it. When she did so, Sasuke looked at with with utter confusion written all over his face as if to say, _why would you do such a thing? _

"I'm on a mission," Sakura explained, placing her hands on his shoulders. She could feel his muscles ripple, indicating that he had gotten even stronger than before. Sakura smiled while silently saying, _some things never change. _

Frowning, Sasuke allowed his hands to drop. However, he said, "I'm coming with you." Sakura smiled brightly and allowed him to follow. She knew that he was accompanying her not because she felt as though she was weak, but because he wanted to further enjoy her presence. There was that and his excessive need to protect her wherever she went. Throughout his travels, Sasuke replaced his readiness to hate at the loss of something with the drive to protect it. He could not lose something, or someone, he truly cared about when he did everything in his power to keep it close to him. That was why, as they advanced on the village, he increased his chakra perception to a mile radius. That was why he was right by her side, matching her every step. That was why, when they reached the village, he made her promise to wait until he found that the coast was clear.

As Naruto had said, Sakura was welcomed into the village. An old man was patiently keeping watch from a second story window, almost invisible if it hadn't been for the now present moon gleaming off the top of his bald head. He hurried them over, bringing them to the house within which the injured were being taken care of. The old man bowed to the two of them as they entered and, while Sasuke stopped just after the threshold, Sakura rushed forward and immediately went to work. Both the old man and Sasuke watched in complete amazement as her hands quickly yet without fault moved from one person to another. One after one their health began to improve, color began to return to their face, and some even sat up if their newly healed injury allowed it. And all of this was done in a manner of under thirty minutes. While the old man was still in shock, bending as low as he could possible go in order to give Sakura his immense gratitude, Sasuke began to wonder why he had ever expected anything less. This was Sakura, and she definitely knew how to be the best in whatever it was she decided to do.

"Thank you so much," the old man silently sobbed. "Please, stay for the night. At least allow me to do that much for you." But Sakura respectfully declined and insisted that they return back to the village. Her main concern was how Naruto had no clue that Sasuke was back yet, and she could only imagine the blonde's response when he saw his best friend. She did, however, take time to scout the area and set various traps in order to prevent the bandits from returning. She made a mental note to tell Naruto to occasionally send scouting ninjas in order to ensure the village was still faring well in the future.

They returned home shortly after midnight so visiting Naruto had to wait until morning. As they were walking in silence, holding onto one another's hand, Sasuke's mind was wandering in places he didn't think he would ever go. He was wondering when the right time would be for… _that. _The physical attraction was there, he wanted to get closer to her than any other man has gotten. For him, there was no other woman besides her that he would ever want, but did that make it okay to rush things? _Four years isn't rushing things, Teme, _he imagined Naruto saying if he ever talked to him about it. But he wouldn't because Naruto doesn't need to know about _these _components of his love life. Naruto, by definition, was the kind of person who would do anything without thinking if the time was right. Sasuke was different, Sasuke spent a lot of time thinking about things, especially with things precious to him. That was why, when Sakura opened the door to her apartment and stepped in, he remained outside. When she was pulled to a stop, Sakura turned to face him in surprise, "Sasuke?"

"Sakura," he started almost silently. "I'm not like Naruto. I don't express my emotions, and I don't tell you the things you deserve to hear. I also don't put others' needs before my own, no matter how I feel about them. I am someone you shouldn't openly welcome into your life because I'm not the kind of guy who is fit for you." He paused, looking at their intertwined fingers. He couldn't help but notice that, all while he spoke, he never let go.

Sakura pursed her lips, thinking of a proper response, before she finally settled on, "You're an idiot." Despite the severity of the situation, she wanted to laugh at his shocked expression. "If I wanted a guy like Naruto, I would have fallen in love with a guy like Naruto. But no, I wanted Sasuke so I fell in love with Sasuke. That's all there is to it, now come inside. It's freezing."

She watched him as he stepped inside as though he was taking her advice but things took a left turn when she was pulled to him for the second kiss of that night. However, this one was different. This one was laying everything out on a table and she had to figure out how to manage all of them. It was sweet, feverish, and full of desperation all at the same time and boy did it make her weak in the knees. Sasuke supported her, however, by holding her fast around her waist. When Sakura grew bold and ran her tongue along his bottom lip, Sasuke decided that he had finally had enough. He effortlessly kicked the door shut before they stumbled toward Sakura's bedroom. It was there that everything was written in stone, everything was finalized and insecurities were brought to nonexistence. Their love was brought out into the open and together they decided that, without a doubt, this is what they wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE: RELAPSE**

Sasuke was clean. He was free of the incessant darkness that had crept up on him in his youth. It had gotten to the point where Naruto would leave Konoha in Sasuke's hands if, for one reason or another, he was drawn from the village. Many began to realize that, next to Naruto, the most capable in protecting the village was Sasuke. The villagers put their trust in Sasuke, now knowing that he had turned away from the darkness he once sought out. This was one of the many reasons why Naruto quickly gave Sasuke the position of ANBU captain. Sasuke's stealth was unparalleled, his detection skills were distinctive, and his drive to protect all he held dear was immeasurable. After all, no one cared as deeply about bonds as the Uchiha.

With all of this being said, we recall a sweltering summer's day. Sasuke's attitude was a little less passive and a little more aggressive while his patience was nearly nonexistent. Though he respected his importance to the village, he did not appreciate the time it consumed. Between paperwork and evaluations, Sasuke was often sent on long missions. It was on this day that Sasuke returned from a mission that lasted about a week and, upon returning, he was immediately called to Naruto's office. He was then "politely" ordered by the blonde to quickly finish all the paperwork delivered to Sasuke while he was away on a mission because there was some sort of important security issue that Naruto needed to be addressed. In other words, Sasuke wasn't going to get home anytime soon.

He and Sakura had taken up residence in a new home that was better fit for two and, though he would never admit it, Sasuke greatly enjoyed being in Sakura's company. There was something about the fact that she was everything he wasn't that made it so easy to be with her. Sasuke never made it a point to openly share his emotions, and he didn't have to because Sakura somehow learned to decipher the several mysterious reactions of Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura, on the other hand, showed her emotions and then amplified them to exponential folds. When she was mad, she was livid and when she was sad, she was hysterical. Likewise, Sasuke learned how to deal with them. He learned to stay out of her punching range and he also learned that one-armed hugs were enough to send the tears away.

But what he loved most was the silent nights they shared. Sasuke and Sakura were busy people with busywork. Often times Sasuke had things to go over before heading to bed and Sakura had medical books to look through and review. The two would sit on the couch, Sasuke sitting _normally_ while Sakura laid on her stomach, her feet resting on Sasuke's lap. Even though silence was the only thing that filled the room, it was the best conversations Sasuke's ever had with Sakura. Her steady breathing told him how concentrated she was. The way she idly moved her feet against each other told him how intrigued she was. And the way she mindlessly had her back to him told him how placid she was.

Sasuke scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets (if Sakura was there, she would have pointed out that he was pouting) as he slowly walked in the direction of his very sophisticated ANBU office. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon when he reached his office, scornfully eyeing the mountains of paper that called for his calculative eye. But, being one to never _openly _complain, he dropped into his chair and got to work. The first couple of pages were recommendations. Naruto was requesting a new ANBU team to deal with some suspicious activity going on around the remote areas of the country. Sasuke's features were blank as his eyes ran across the student evaluations, but he couldn't help but remark how each oddly mimicked his younger self. They were a determined and highly skilled bunch, but they were also very young. Too young to be in the ANBU business, just how Sasuke was too young to seek the guidance of Orochimaru. Sighing, he tossed the papers away and rubbed his eyes. He was remembering.

Just when he was about to repair his broken composure, there was the familiar sound of a summoned familiar. A slug fell and landed on his desk, just between his flattened hands. "Uchiha-san," her dedicated voice called out, but their was a hint of breathlessness, as if she was in a hurry.

"Aa," Sasuke beckoned her to speak. For as long as he could remember, Sasuke had the ability to sense when something was… off. The hairs on the back of his neck were threatening to rise as Katsuyu collected her breath.

"Uchiha-san," she said as she slid up his arm to settle on his shoulder. Sasuke remained impassive, prepared. "It's Sakura."

There were many of his own jutsus that Sasuke had labeled forbidden and placed a seal on his own hand. Kusanagi had been locked away in "storage" he told Sakura but, in reality, he felt that he would be lapsed into an insufferable darkness had he touched it again. There were many things that Sasuke was removing from his life in order to remain… clean, for lack of a better word. But today everything was lost. He no longer could see anything but red as his Mangekyo Sharingan was immediately activated. Katsuyu had gone to Kakashi and Naruto as well, both knowing that Sasuke would be notified and therefore met him at the door. They attempted to stop him from shoving passed yet they failed. He shoved the two with a complete force while growling bone-chilling threats. Sasuke remained blind in his anger as he not only found the key to the seal in order to release its restriction, but also found his kusanagi. Before Naruto or Kakashi could reach him, he was already racing through the woods on the outskirts on the village.

"_It was supposed to be a safe mission," Katsuyu told him. _

His hand tightened around his drawn kusanagi.

"_They saw the seal similar to Tsunade-sama's on her forehead," Katsuyu continued. _

He had the desire to watch blood relentlessly spill.

"_They took her." _

Sasuke had always feared something like this would happen. An Uchiha will always be an Uchiha no matter how redeemed he or she is. Once a bond had been created, everything will be done to protect it. At some point, in her sleep, Sasuke placed an invisible seal, his own creation, on her skin. Back when he was used to killing, he used it to track his prey. Now, he was using it to track Sakura. He could feel the path they had gone, and he knew that she was still alive. However, according to Katsuyu, they had captured her when her chakra was depleted following the usage of her deal. She was weak and rendered helpless in the hands of men Sasuke didn't know. That made his blood boil.

And suddenly, it happened. The forestry cleared to a degree to reveal a campfire. It took him mere seconds to locate every enemy… and Sakura. She was fully conscious, tired, and a little scraped up. She was alone, tied against the trunk of a tree, and left to the hands of the enemies. One was clearly mocking her, roughly taking her delicate chin into his hands. He shook her before she pulled away. It wasn't until the man lifted his hand to strike her did Sasuke was fully enveloped in the life he left behind. It took him seconds to shroud the disgusting excuse for a ninja in Amaterasu. The man let out a blood-curdling scream, lashing about every which way in an attempt to put out the eternal flames. Unfortunately, his comrades were now alert, leaving Sasuke to delay his reunion with Sakura in order to stealthily pick them off one by one.

He began with the large of the three that found themselves looking about frantically. He drug him into the surrounding darkness by a strung shuriken. Sasuke buried his kusanagi in his stomach, twisting it until the man stopped struggling. Sasuke kicked away the lifeless body then pointed two sole fingers, aimed at the heart of one of the last men standing on guard. Both stood close to Sakura, so precision was key. Sasuke's eyes ran cold as a Chidori current shot from his fingers. As predicted, it shot straight through the man's heart and disappeared, allowing the man to drop to the ground… dead. For the last one, he figured it was time to reveal himself yet Sakura had already blown his cover. Somewhere throughout the altercation she had shouted his name, more out of shock, and began to struggle against her restraints. Sasuke would have told her to stop struggling, telling her she needed to replenish her chakra first, but he was too occupied in summing his Susanoo. He coldly took the last enemy in Susanoo's hand and looked upon him with cold, lifeless eyes before he crushed the man. The screams lasted only for mere seconds.

All while he was doing this, fighting in such a dark manner, he did not stop to realize that Sakura was watching it all. Sasuke was hesitant in approaching her, blood painting their surroundings, so he did what Sasuke does when he doesn't know what to do: he stood there. His Susanoo was gone, as was his Mangekyo. Needless to say, his desire to kill was satiated and it was replaced with… disgust. Sasuke looked down to his hands before he clenched them, silently cursing himself. He'd lost control of his emotions despite the fact that he had taken years to control them. He could have easily retrieved Sakura without them even knowing he was there, yet he _wanted _to kill them.

"Sasuke," Sakura's voice was partially silent.

He had wanted to hear their screams because, deep down, it was the most satisfying sound to hear.

"_Sasuke_."

They had taken the one thing that was dear to him, therefore rendering their lives absolutely meaningless. An Uchiha never forgives.

"Uchiha!" Sasuke's eyes snapped to Sakura who remained pinned to the trunk of the tree. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes were swimming with confusion, reflecting his internal conflict with himself. "You could untie me now."

Sasuke moved cautiously, afraid his dark thoughts would resurface and somehow turn against Sakura. There was that and he was afraid Sakura would somehow fear him, yet she didn't move. In fact, he looked at him as though to demand he hurry up. He took a kunai and cut the rope, allowing it to fall free to the ground. Sakura then stretched, sighing at her release, and attempted to stand. Sasuke watched as her knees shook in exhaustion and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Figuring she wouldn't refuse, Sasuke offered to carry her on his back and, just like he had predicted, she didn't refuse. Sasuke felt his previous worries leave his body as they shot through the darkness, leaving the incident behind them.

It wasn't until they were _very _close to Konoha did Sakura finally spoke, "I know I should be concerned that you… _relapsed _but–" she stopped as if questioning whether she should speak her thoughts. But she was Sakura, and she _always _spoke her thoughts. "–but you came for me."

He drew in a breath, relishing in the feel of her smile against his shoulder. "You forgive me," it was a statement calling for reassurance.

"I have nothing to forgive you for," she responded, still smiling. "Thank you for coming for me."

Sasuke stopped just before entering the village, sure that Naruto will immediately come running, attempting to bash his face in. He didn't want to fight; his eyes burned and his body ached. He was exhausted, not used to using so much chakra all at once. Also, there was something that he had to do.

He lowered Sakura to the ground, surprising her, but turned to face her. "I was scared," he finally admitted. "I was scared that I lost you."

Sakura was taken aback, yet she had the composure to joke, "I'd break every bone in their body before I'd let them kill me."

Sasuke didn't find that amusing. "You're strong, I know, I can't be at ease in our current situation. I want people to know what it is they are messing with. I want everyone to know that you are mine, and I will kill anyone or anything that attempts to bring harm to you."

"Sasuke, are you–?"

"–I want people to be terrified by even the _thought _of laying a single scratch on you because they know that I _will_ follow through with my threats." His lips hovered dangerously close. With one swift movement, his lips could be slanted over hers. "Let me make you an Uchiha, Sakura. Marry me."

And Sakura's blinding smile was affirmation enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX: HE'S A TAKEN MAN**

Sasuke wasn't new to this type of thing. He'd gone through it all through his childhood, the only difference being the women becoming more bold. For about two weeks now, he'd been receiving some "lady attention" and boy did he feel annoyed. He had specifically gone out of his way to avoid them, now able to identify which streets they were more likely to be walking. Sasuke felt as though he was on a neverending ANBU mission as he utilized his stealth every night just so he could get home safely. Most people would say, "Just brush them off" and Sasuke would if it were easy. These civilian women had grips like steel. It took time to actually shake them off. However, Sasuke learned the hard way that he shouldn't even give these women a chance to touch him. Somewhere around the third day, he was coolly walking home with his hands in his pockets. He was too busy thinking of what _his wife _would have placed on the dinner table that he did not notice a young, very busty girl barreling his way.

"Sasuke-_kuuuun_!" She latched herself onto his bandaged arm, trying to use her large breasts to an advantage. What she didn't understand was that Sasuke was not affected by things like that, therefore he simply sighed in irritation. The girl had enough make-up on to last a century and her bright red lipstick that was slabbed on her face made Sasuke recoil. He exchanged no words, heck he didn't even look her in the eye, he simply began to pull his arm away. The people who were standing near felt for the poor Uchiha, bombarded with female attention when he didn't care for it so much. Especially when they were girls like Ayano Adachi.

Ayano Adachi was… promiscuous, for lack of a better word. She was also a homewrecker, targeting men that were already married, especially the newly wedded ones. There was a rumor going around that her rule of thumb was "aim for the amateurs." Sasuke fell on this list, having married Sakura only a few short months ago. As soon as Sasuke married Sakura, Ayano was on his tail, suggesting that they "disappear" and "do stuff Sakura shouldn't know about." He frowned each time she asked, not even bothering to waste his breath in rejecting her. Sasuke figured if he ignored her long enough, she would just go away. But oh how wrong he was and, on this particular night, he was _very _wrong. Sasuke could officially say it was the first time he had ever been that scared out of his mind. Just as Sasuke was about to break free of that crazy woman's grip, she slapped her hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for a wet one (if you looked closely, you could see Sasuke's soul slowly floating away).

With an evil giggle, Ayano pushed Sasuke away and said, "Go home and show your wife _that_." And skipped off as if nothing happened. Sasuke was left standing in the street, trying to recover himself and, when he thought he did, he looked in a shop window. Sure enough, there were traces of red lipstick all over his mouth. _Oh dear god, _he thought to himself as he turned on his foot and bolted in the opposite direction. He didn't dare think about Sakura because speak of the devil and he shall appear. If Sakura saw this, tears will be shed, promising threats will be made, and divorce will be proposed. Sasuke could handle threats, and heck Sakura's cried before and he dealt with it pretty quickly, but divorce… Everyone could see how happy the married life made Sasuke and he'd become used to a few of the perks. Whenever it got cold at night, he didn't have to get up to find another blanket because he had a warm body right there in his arms. He could sleep in a bit longer because she got up to make breakfast before leaving. The house was _always _clean (which was weird because he'd ever actually caught Sakura in the act of cleaning). And, heck, Sasuke just simply loved the heck out of Sakura. The best thing he ever did was making that woman his wife. Therefore, when he nearly kicked in Naruto's door, he had already made it a mission to keep her as such: his wife. This lipstick had to go.

"What the hell, Te–IS THAT LIPSTICK ON YOUR FACE," Naruto came barreling around the corner, ramen in mouth. He immediately resorted to shouting once he saw the grotesque smearing all around Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke dashed toward him, putting his hand over the blonde's mouth. Paranoia had set in and Sasuke was sure Sakura would hear them, even over such a great distance. Naruto peeled Sasuke's hand away, dropping his ramen in the process, and immediately lunged for Sasuke's throat. "God dammit Teme! You _just _married her and you're _already _cheating–?!"

Sasuke's went back to Naruto's mouth while, off in the Uchiha household, Sakura looked up in response to a sudden chill. "_Shut up_," Sasuke hissed. "It was Ayano. I need to get this off!"

"Ayano as in Ayano _Adachi_?" When Sasuke nodded, Naruto groaned. Word on the street was Naruto was next once he finally worked up the courage to ask Hinata to marry him. It was partially the reason why he hadn't yet. That Ayano Adachi was all bad and no man crossed her without experiencing a little bit of trouble. Not even the great Sasuke Uchiha. "Oh man, Sakura's gonna be pissed." Sasuke nodded gratfully as Naruto ushered him to the bathroom and immediately grabbed a towel.

Sasuke took it and wet it before swiping at his face. It _had _to be the brightest red and he just _had _to be so pale. He wiped at the lipstick but it just wouldn't come off. Naruto handed him some facewash, looking at him with a deep look of concern. If Sakura found out about this, Sasuke _and _Ayano would be a dead man. And now that Naruto was involved, that would up the body count to three.

Patting his face dry, Sasuke observed the area and found that he was lipstick free, but he couldn't help but feel as though he'd been tainted in some way. He must have been making a face for Naruto slapped him on the back, "Oh come on Teme, it was just an unwarranted kiss! It's not like–"

"I have to tell her," Sasuke concluded aloud before turning to leave. "Thanks for the help."

Sasuke had to face the cold reality, it was either he tell her or Sakura found out about it Ayano. He hadn't any doubt that Ayano would use this to her advantage somehow. There was that and, at their wedding, Sasuke promised to stay truthful to Sakura. He promised a lot of things but this one was the one Sakura cared about the most, Sasuke just knew it was. Sakura had the compassion of a thousand people and she openly admitted that she'd rather die than see Sasuke fight an emotional battle on his own. "Tell me everything," Sakura requested, "Even when you don't want to, just tell me." Sasuke stepped over Naruto's door, making sure to get that fixed for the blonde, before he disappeared into the evening.

"Sakura."

Sakura nearly cut her finger off when Sasuke suddenly spoke in her ear. His fingers ran through her hair which she had decided on a whim to cut into a soft bob which was why dinner was still in the process of being made. He was most likely observing her without her usually long hair and the fact that he touched it so softly meant that he approved. But something was off this time. After being married to him for a couple of months now (Sakura still couldn't say that without blushing, nor could she look at her ring without giggling like a love struck fool), Sakura was able to tell when something was wrong with the Uchiha. He had many different types of silences. There was the angry silence in which he wouldn't even send a glance her way, or he did everything in a loud, destructive manner. There was the "starving of your attention silence" in which he sat a good distance away but watched her as if he were about to devour her. That or he would get uncharacteristically touchy-feely. Enough to send chills down Sakura's spine. There was the depressed silence in which he would look at his bandaged arm and the scars that decorated his body. Then, which was what Sakura was sensing now, there was the _awkward _silence.

The thing about Sasuke and awkward silences was that Sasuke never felt awkward unless he had something to say, he just didn't know how to say it. Sakura set the knife down on the cutting board and turned to face her husband. She often had to help him along with these conversations, because she was the natural talker, not Sasuke. "Okay," she sighed, "What is it?" Sakura saw his lips move, but she heard nothing. Typical. She leaned in, "What?" He repeated it except, this time, the Uchiha spoke even _softer. _Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sasuke I won't be able to hear you unless you speak louder."

And so he pulled her to him with one arm around her waist. His lips settled just above her ear as he muttered, "Ayano Adachi kissed me. I was at Naruto's getting the lipstick off."

When he felt her trembling, he just knew he had done it. This was the first step to the entire process: the tears. He had foretold it all: she would start crying and being the whipped man he was, he would go into a deep panic. He would scramble to comfort her up until she got fed up with him and started throwing things, hopefully not punches. His eyes immediately darted to the knife on the counter, so he made the brave decision of suggesting they move to the couch. When a whimper-like sound life Sakura's mouth, he decided against that and to just take whatever followed like a man. He could handle it, he was a man and– wait. Sasuke pulled back to look at Sakura's face only to see she had slapped a hand over her mouth to control her laughter. Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes as she turned away to compose herself. "Why are you _laughing_," Sasuke asked, offended. He was being _serious _here!

"I'm sorry," she gasped, holding out her hand. "But I can imagine the look on your face when she–" She doubled over, hanging onto the kitchen counter for support. Sasuke scowled, and Sakura could feel the atmosphere begin to turn into his signature angry silence. He growled, unhappy with the amusement she was getting out of her suffering, and decided that he'd go take a shower. He felt disgusting, smelling the disgustingly sweet scent of Ayano Adachi wherever he went. It was probably on him, he now realized, causing him to form an even deeper scowl. Before he left the kitchen, he discarded his shirt. No, really, he _discarded _his shirt. He pulled it up and over his head then reached passed Sakura to put it in the trash underneath the sink. This only seemed to cause her to laugh harder which caused him to _glare _harder. This was not okay, he finally decided, this was definitely not okay.

He was already in the shower when Sakura composed herself and attempted to actually speak. Through the glass of the shower, he saw her leaning against the wall. He knew that she was waiting for him to speak first, which was what she always did when he was in one of his brooding states. He didn't want to talk about this anymore; he had been kissed by a red-lipped demon. He felt _violated. _He felt _tainted. _He felt as though he could scrub his face until it was red with irritation and he still wouldn't be able to get all that woman's poison off of him. Sakura had no right to laugh at him. Sasuke was, in all sense of the word, _traumatized. _But she was still standing there. That's always how she finally got him to speak. She just _stood _there and, falling for the trap every time, Sasuke sighed, "Come in." His eyes were closed as he allowed the water to stream along his face, but he heard her undress before sliding open the shower doors. She stepped in to stand before him and she snaked her arms around him. "Why are you fine with it," he finally asked.

Sakura hummed looking up at his pouting state. "Oh I'm _definitely _not fine with this," she said with a smile which seemed to only scare Sasuke more. "I'm going to wring her neck the first chance I get." Sasuke almost cracked a smile on that one. "As for why I laughed–" she started to giggle again, attempting to hide them by covering her mouth but she was failing miserably. "Sasuke, Ayano is worse than Karin. I feel so sorry for you." Suddenly her laughter ended and she looked to Sasuke with a fury that wasn't necessarily directed at him. "But I swear to god, if that Ayano touches you one more time..."

One thing Sasuke came to learn was that Sakura was slightly more possessive than he was, and god did he love it. Not a single boy walked up to Sakura now that she was an Uchiha, but Sakura couldn't be of the same peace of mind. She had to standby and watch as Sasuke defended himself against a mass of females, now suddenly interested in him. There have been times when Sakura would demonstrate her strength to a few of them, letting them know that this Uchiha ship had sailed and she was the lone passenger. And whenever Sasuke caught her bravely protecting what was hers, he not only took pride in the fact that _he _had tamed this woman, but he also got very… _very _aroused. And Sakura already knew this moment had come for he entered that "starving for your attention" silence, identified easily by the way his hands started to roam.

"You know," she attempted to pull away. "The water's starting to get cold and I still have to finish dinner. Maybe we should–"

"The water is fine and we can order something," Sasuke interrupted, placing sweet butterfly kisses on her neck. Sakura blushed at the feel of his lips. "Or we could go out to get something, maybe _accidentally _run into that Adachi girl."

Sakura pushed him away to look at him incredulously. "You would purposefully start a fight between me and her? I prefer you not to instigate any altercations. If you can avoid her–"

He cut her off with a heated kiss, one that left her panting and him smirking. All he simply said before he officially pulled her in was, "I know you would win."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN: I DREAMED A DREAM**

Sasuke was a little taken aback. No, that was an understatement. Sasuke was _terrified. _He watched as his normally graceful wife stomped about the house, tossing items every which way. Everytime she passed him, she would send him the dirtiest glare she could muster before huffing and turning her head away. At first, he thought it would last only a few minutes. But then it lasted the entire morning. It began when he woke up, stretching himself out like he normally did, and found that she wasn't in bed when he reached over to wrap her up in his arms. He cracked an eye open, looking to her side to find that she was indeed gone, then groaned when his innate protective instinct forced him to get up and investigate. Clad only in his pajama bottoms, he stalked around the house only to find her in the kitchen where she was making her morning tea. As if sensing him approaching behind her, she jutted her elbow out rather forcefully and grunted in discontent when it didn't make contact. Backing up a few paces, Sasuke subconsciously rubbed his ribs, where her elbow would have made contact. _That was close, _he thought warily.

"Was that necessary," he asked monotonously as if he _didn't _care when, on the inside, he was rather hurt that his advances were rejected. Did she not know what sporting only his t-shirt did to him? She had to know that he'd at _least _want to occupy her lips for a few seconds. When Sakura turned around, it was as if Satan had sent the worst demon he had to offer. Her eyes were screaming of exhaustion while her eyes were brimmed red from crying excessively. If he wasn't mistaken, she might have been shaking as well. It wasn't until that she turned back around with a huff that she was _absolutely _upset with him.

As any man would do, he went through the list of that he did that could potentially upset her. _What it when I… No. _He shook his head, she was completely fine after that. _Or maybe when I… _He shook his head again. That couldn't have been it because, that night, they… well, you know. And she wasn't complaining at that time so it had to be something else. But Sasuke, by then, had already run out of things he could possibly do wrong. Sasuke eventually sighed and worked up the courage to ask, "What did I do, Sakura?"

"Nothing," she bit out. "You did absolutely _nothing._" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen, forgetting all about her tea. Sasuke turned off the stove and went chasing after her like an abandoned puppy. He followed her into their bedroom where she was quickly getting dressed for a day at the hospital. Sasuke attempted to coax her out of the reason behind her anger yet she completely dismissed his presence and went storming from the room. Sasuke didn't chase after her this time, figuring that it was too exhausting to make an attempt when he was just going to be ignored, so he got back in bed a little bit more bitter than when he got up. All while Sakura continued to spread her wrath about the house, Sasuke couldn't help but fear the thoughts that were flashing across her mind: murder, torture, or worst of all _no sex. _

When Sasuke heard her footsteps headed towards the door, he acted on a whim and dashed after her, catching her by the wrist before she could even open the door. She didn't bother turning around to face him which, at this point, was the least of his worries. "How am I supposed to know what I did if you don't talk to me," he demanded, using anger to mask his absolute fear of her extremely dangerous fists. "I'll visit you at the hospital and you _will _talk to me." He left it at that, allowing Sakura to snatch her hand away and leave from their home.

Even though Sasuke promised her this, he didn't quite know what to say to her. He could apologize but he didn't even know what he was apologizing for. He could bring her flowers, but then that would call for telling Yamanaka what he did wrong and, again, he had no clue. There came a point in his solitary day (surrounded by paperwork of course) when he found himself pacing before Naruto in his office within the Hokage Tower. What more could he do besides ramble off his troubles to his one true friend? And Naruto, being the great friend he was (and Hokage that hated signing papers), listened intently. He offered a few words here and there, and nodded whenever he deemed it necessary. Finally, when Sasuke stopped his retelling of events, Naruto thoughtfully said, "Wow, your in deep shit, teme."

Sasuke glared, "Tell me something I don't know, dobe." Eventually he sighed and said, "I told her I'd go see her at the hospital to talk."

Naruto responded with a low whistle and said, "I lied. You'll be in deep shit _later_. Look, Hinata-chan gets upset with me all the time and I learned to let her cool off before I talk to her. It's either that or I get castrated." Sasuke looked to Naruto incredulously. "She is a demon when she's angry. Rule number one: never talk to a girl when she's angry."

Sasuke frowned, "So what do I do?"

"What do you mean 'what do you do?'," Naruto leaned back in his chair, "You go talk to her."

"You just said–"

"Rule number two," Naruto interrupted. "If you say you're going to do something, _especially _if it involves her, you do it. It doesn't matter if you die, at least you die a man."

So going to Naruto was no help at all. At this point, Sasuke was pretty darn sure that his end had come. It was the first time he had ever been put on his toes, questioning his every move, looking quickly around every corner. Sakura had successfully backed him up against a wall and because he was so keen on protecting her feelings, it was inevitable that he was going to end up the losing party in this one. With Sakura, he was _always _the losing party. But, to an extent, Naruto was right. A man never goes back on his word and, if Sasuke told Sakura he would go to see her, he was going. It wasn't until he found himself standing before the hospital doors did he realize that _maybe _waiting for her at home wasn't such a bad idea. Sure he'd die a coward, but at least it wouldn't be in public.

_You're an Uchiha, _Sasuke scolded himself. _Uchiha's aren't afraid of anything. _However pathetic his thoughts may have been, it was enough to get him to walk mechanically into the building. He asked the front desk to call for Sakura, to tell her that he was there, and he felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest when the lady at the desk said, "She is waiting for you in her office." _In her office. _A secluded area with no witnesses to see what goes on inside, Sasuke felt like he was walking into a trap. He nonetheless went up the elevator and down the hall to her office. He stopped just before her door, hearing her move about inside, and looked toward the ceiling. It was the first time in a long time that this Uchiha prayed. Finally, he took a deep breath and pushed his way in, surprising her to the point of jumping.

She looked… okay. Her exhaustion from that morning was ten times worse and her eyes seemed redder as well. Subconsciously he stepped toward her and cupped her cheek, running his thumb along the bottom of her eye. Before he was demanding but now he truly wanted to know: _what did he do? _"Sakura–"

"Sasuke I'm sorry," she blurted, immediately tearing up again. "I was upset over something really stupid."

"What did I do," he repeated for the upteenth time that day. Really, this was getting old.

"You cheated on me," she told him, swiping away her tears.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, "No, I– _what_?"

"_Yes, _you did!"

"No I–"

"–In my dream you did!"

And there it was. Sasuke's hand dropped to his side while his other came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. It took him a moment to fully process what she had said but, once he got it, it seemed like all the tension in his body left the room. But then it was replaced with frustration. This girl made a huge scene that morning, made him go and spill everything to Naruto, made him worry about his very life over a _dream. _Sasuke didn't even acknowledge the female population if it wasn't Sakura and here she was accusing him of cheating on her in her dream. They had been married for a year, wasn't trust supposed to be established by now?

"I _was _mad at you, but not anymore," she confessed.

Sasuke looked at her skeptically as she continued to wipe away tears. He leaned passed her to take a tissue from her tissue box on her desk to hand it to her. She took it gratefully. "Then why are you crying."

"_Because_," she said, as if that explained it all.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm not a mindreader, Sakura."

She cried even harder. "You're making me feel _worse!_"

What was _with _this woman? "_I'm _making _you _feel worse?!"

She took another tissue because the one she already had was a lost cause. "All day I've alternated from mad to sad then back to mad again and I expected you to know all this and I'm _so _sorry because you've done nothing wrong and you had to tolerate my anger this morning when all I really wanted was for you to tell me that you loved me because I love you and if that dream were to come true my world would just–" Until this point, Sasuke had completely lost his drive to react. His mind was exhausted from the excessive worrying he had done that day. But when she stopped talking suddenly, he was brought back to reality to see her literally slightly swaying. He held his arms out to her with a "Sakura?" as she gripped onto him to keep from falling. Just as he was about to speak, she shoved him backward and lurched into her trash can beside her desk. She did so repeatedly, so much that Sasuke bolted for her door and called for help. Ironically, the first one to come was Sakura's close co-worker Shizune.

"What's wrong," she demanded, dashing forward toward Sakura who was still heaving into the plastic bin.

Sasuke followed suit, crouching on Sakura's other side, placing a comforting hand on her back. "I don't know," he said, his face tinged with worry. "One minute she was yelling then the next…" He trailed, motioning toward Sakura who had now calmed down to breathing heavily. Shizune insisted that they sit her upright so she could get a better look at Sakura so Sasuke took her into his protective hold to keep her from falling over. She looked extremely weak and pale. _She was fine a few seconds ago. _

"We don't want to move her too quickly," Shizune advised as she inspected Sakura with her hands that were now enveloped in her own chakra. "She may vomit again." Sakura vomiting was the least of Sasuke's worries as he stared down at Sakura's drooping eyes. Was this because she was stressed over the dream she had? Was this because she was sitting here worrying over him? She looked exhausted, he should have made her stay home, he should have made her– "Uchiha-san." Shizune's wide eyes made Sasuke completely alert. "Depleted, vomiting, high fever. There are several things that can cause this and I was attempting to rule it out but–"

"But what," Sasuke demanded as he noticed Shizune's hand hovering over Sakura's stomach. What was it? Stomach ulcer? Tumor? Flu? _What_?!

Shizune looked up with a small smile, drawing confusion from the Uchiha until she proudly announced, "Sakura's pregnant."

**So hopefully this wasn't to brief for y'all. I literally have been working on this for hours and I'm so glad its out of the way now. Thank you all for your wonderful support. I can't express how grateful I am to you all! **


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